Xantax12
by Wordcounter
Summary: YAHF. Xander has been transformed during Halloween. Into what exactly ... let's find out.
1. Chapter 1

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Date : 100409

Disclaimer : All BTVS, Marvel and Stargate characters and concepts belong to respective creators and owners.

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Part 1:

_**Number of Days after Halloween: 0001**_

Halloween had passed. He had no re-collection as to what had happened but whatever ever it was, it was at least over. Everything had reverted back to normal and he was all the more ... quite relieved over it. That was until he had caught sight of the small patches of grey on his left hand. They stood out easily from his usual skin colour. With a quick flick of his wrist, he turned the tap on. Cool water flowed out from it and he washed the affected hand with soap and water. After several rinses and generous applications of soap, however, he realised that the strange grey colour was not coming off. He tried to remove the colour with other household cleaning supplies. The second attempt was also unsuccessful.

Unable to do much except to cover up the unusual skin colourations as best as he could, the male Scooby decided to keep it under wraps for the moment with gloves and long sleeves. Since Sunnydale was not particularly cold, however, that would not work in the long run. So a visit to the art store to get some spray paint was definitely in order. Without wasting anymore time, he made his way to the store.

_**Number of Days after Halloween: 0008**_

The grey patches on his body were growing. Once it just covered his left wrist but now it occupied his chest, back and neck. Not only that, some of them had started to turn a strange metallic silver or chrome. In other parts of his body like his back and forearms, they had started to turn purple. The only part that the grey patches had yet to reach was his face but Xander knew that it was only a matter of time before it happened. And once that happened it would be very difficult to cover his face without a good reason. For instance what kind of student went to school wearing a face mask? Xander sighed before throwing another empty can of spray paint into the bin. His supply of spray paint had run out and he had to go the art supplies store once again.

Xander stepped outside. It was dark. Making sure to carry a couple of wooden stakes with him for protection, he put on his jacket and left for the store. It never paid to be too careful in a place like Sunnydale where things would go bump in the night. And speaking of things that would go bump in the night ... five figures emerged out of the shadows.

"Well, well, well. What have we here?" a voice that sounded female mocked.

The male Scooby stopped in his tracks and studied the five figures carefully. Four were male and one was female.

"I don't have time for this," the male Scooby answered.

"I don't have time for this. I ... don't ... have ... time ... for ... this. Is that all you can say?" the female of the group asked before saying.

"Now look here lady, I don't want any trouble," Xander warned.

"Did you hear that boys? He doesn't want any trouble! " the female vampire sneered.

From past experience, the young Scooby knew that he would have to move quickly. Those undead buggers tend to move fast and hard. One hit on him was all it took to take him down. The first vampire ran at him, fangs bared and claws unsheathed. Xander easily sidestepped the rushing vampire and stabbed it in the heart with his wooden stake. The struck vampire crumbed to dust. The rest of the vampires looked at the pile of dust and their faces changed.

"He's killed Orson!" the female vampire shrieked in rage.

"Tear him apart!" another vampire shouted.

"Prepare to die!" they chorused and all the four vampires sped forward as a group.

Xander felt a strange energy surging through his body, begging for release. He gave in to the feeling and a massive burst of purple energy erupted from his hands, dusting two of the vampires and knocking the other two vampires hard into the trees.

'What was that?' he wondered before looking down at his hands in puzzlement.

'Did I just throw some energy blasts at the vamps like Willow did?'

He turned to look at the other two undead buggers that were still alive.

They, in turn, turned to look at him in a mixture of shock and fear at what had just happened before getting to their feet.

Seeing as they were about to make a run for it, he drew on the strange energy again and then released it in the direction of the two vampires. Much to his disbelief, a large ball of purple energy that moved slowly (and disappointment) through the air left his hands. Not looking a gift horse in the mouth, the two vampires made a quick run for it.

'Why is it moving so slow now?' Xander wondered, his thoughts tinged with disappointment at the slow-moving energy ball.

The vampires turned to run or tried to but to their horror and to Xander's surprise, they seemed to be pulled backwards towards the slow-moving energy ball. They struggled with all their might, as could be seen from the panicked expressions on their faces ... all to no avail. The mysterious force that was pulling them towards the slow-moving energy ball was much stronger. When they were close enough, it disappeared in a powerful explosion that reduced both vampires to dust.

'Now ... that's new,' the male Scooby took in the scene with fascination.

He would have to study this unusual change to himself more after he got a new supply of spray paint.

_**Number of Days after Halloween: 0010**_

Xander had tested his newly acquired 'energy powers' since that time and to his surprise, discovered that they were quite strong and versatile. He could fire them in any direction from his hands, eyes or even fingers. The fast-moving energy balls also seemed to have a built-in tracking system as they seemed able to follow the target until they struck it or dissipated by themselves (this happened after a few seconds). They could also be used in conjunction with the slow-moving energy balls that drew the targets to themselves rather than homing in on their targets like heat-seeking missiles.

Xander had tried to combine all their traits and characteristics together but he wasn't successful yet. The fast-moving ones failed to pull their target towards themselves due to their lightning-fast speed while the slow-moving ones simply did not need to home in on their targets since it was already pulling them in their direction. Nonetheless, Xander discovered a new variation of energy ball with his experiments. He could throw an energy ball to a position without letting it dissipate or go BOOM, thus leaving it fully functional until such a time when he decided to let it explode or until something struck it.

This allowed him to create the equivalent of energy 'landmines' in which he could leave large numbers of them lying over a location or hanging in the air (they were not subject to gravity much to his delight) to go off at a certain time or after a particular period of time. After more experimentation, he discovered he could mold the 'balls of energy' into any shape he wished when he let go of them. As to what this could mean, he was not sure as he was still in the early stages of testing the limits of his 'energy powers'.

Another new development was the surprising discovery that he had become stronger, faster and tougher than before. He had tested the limits of his strength by lifting different weights and to his surprise found that he was able to lift a small car with both his arms over his head. As for speed, he was able to 'zip' from one location to another location in a rapid blur of movement, leaving only purple or grey afterimages in his wake. Not to mention, those afterimages remained for sometime and could freeze anything they came into contact with. The only downside to this was that his inhuman features had become more distinct since that time and showed no sign stopping anytime soon. There was also a small purple crystal forming in the center of his forehead.

What was he turning into? Whatever it was, he hoped it wasn't anything too monstrous. Still it was fun testing his new powers out on the newly-born vampires that prowled the cemeteries surrounding good old Sunnydale. The look of shock on the blood suckers' faces as they found themselves dusted by his energy powers almost made turning into a freak of nature worthwhile.

_**Number of Days after Halloween: 0014**_

Xander still did not know what had happened to him as he studied his features in the mirror. Even after a week of testing and fiddling with the different aspects of his "powers", much of his power remained a mystery to him. For one, he could use his powers all day without tiring. It was as if the battery supply of his energy powers was inexhaustible, much unlike Willow with her magic. Two, his vision was changing, having different shades of purple in all of them. Whatever this meant, he had yet to find out. It was like learning to read and write a new language of which the environment was the key towards uncovering the secret to his powers.

There was little doubt that the troll job of a Principal called Snyder had really done it this time. Now that he looked like a gaunt, grey and purple-skinned "man" with a purple gemstone in his forehead, he wondered how he would be able to escape drawing attention to himself when he got to school. His body was still changing. Into what he did not know. The remaining body parts that had not turned metallic purple or chrome-like by this time had assumed a no-colour status - meaning transparent or see through.

It was eerie for the male Scooby as he discovered that sections of his body could be seen and not seen in a way which did not make any sense. He could see clear cutoffs of where the transparent and 'normal' portions met especially sections of his body, with the body tissue in the non-transparent sections of his body visible from looking through the transparent sections. All the body tissue and flesh in the transparent sections always appeared to be invisible to the naked eye, as if they did not even exist. What was even more disturbing was the fact that the transparent sections of his body was completely indistinct from the background.

No doubt, the 'denizens' of Sunnydale suffered from 'Sunnydale Syndrome' but this was really pushing it. He had tried prying off that purple gemstone on his forehead but it was like prying off his skin and stubbornly insisted on not coming off by causing him pain. Next he had resorted to covering his forehead with a hat but there was still a noticeable bulge beneath it.

Xander sighed. At least the purple jewel was no longer visible when the hat was placed over it. Now for the next part of the process. He picked up a can of spray paint and began spraying it all over his body starting with his legs.

The paint covered the unusually-coloured skin until it turned to a reasonable shade of brown that could be passed of as 'sunburn' or 'bodytan' in Sunnydale at least, Xander hoped.

_**Number of Days after Halloween: 0016**_

Bright green colour in the form of stripes, patches and symbols had begun to appear all over his body. Xander wondered what this meant. He tested out his energy powers and discovered that the energy blasts that he threw were now mixed with green. Whatever this meant he did not know, for there seemed to be no discernable difference in the effects of the blasts in terms of strength, speed and accuracy despite the coloured difference. On the other hand, his quick movements also left green afterimages in addition to the purple afterimages. Other than the new colour, nothing else appeared to be different.

_**Number of Days after Halloween: 0018**_

The symbols on his body appeared to be changing. Some of them had shifted to assume the form of animals while others had shifted to that of objects that resembled archaic weapons such as spears, swords, bows and daggers. Still others had shifted to assume even stranger shapes like some unknown script that he could not make head or tail of.

Great! The male Scooby thought. Now I'm covered with tattoos! As if being a freak of Halloween was not enough, now I'm a tattooed freak of Halloween.

TBC

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	2. Chapter 2

Date : 100509

Disclaimer : All BTVS, Marvel and Stargate characters and concepts belong to respective creators and owners.

* * *

Part 2:

_**Number of Days after Halloween: 0020**_

He did not know how long he could keep up this facade of normalcy. Buffy was becoming suspicious, he could tell. From time to time, she would look at him as though she were sizing him up like a dangerous predator whenever he thought that she wasn't looking. Even Oz was wary of him, from the glances he was getting from him. The only good thing that came out of this was that he was racking up a larger number of kills among the undead buggers than he normally did even on his best days before Halloween.

Meanwhile in Willow's room, Buffy was having a discussion with the red-haired witch.

"So what do you think?"

"Xander, you mean?"

"That's right. He 's been different since Halloween. Something about him that my mind can't quite put together. Even the Slayer within me's wary of him."

"You mean something's taken control over Xander? Possessed?"

"Could you do a spell to find out? You know ... like what's wrong with him?" the Slayer asked worriedly.

"Well, I could but I need something that belongs to him. His hair, fingernail or anything that belongs to him. The closer they are to him, the more accurate a reading I would be able to get of him," Willow pondered aloud.

"Leave that to me," the Slayer said.

_**Number of Days after Halloween: 0021**_

That following night, the Slayer decided to follow the Xand-man. Thanks to her rather short height, it made it easy for her to stalk her target without him realising it. To her dismay, he headed in the direction of the cemetery.

'He's going to take out vampires out on his own? Is he crazy? It's suicide! But then, he hasn't been himself since Halloween,' the Slayer thought as she followed Xander's figure slowly across uneven ground.

He continued walking in a hurried manner, then came to a stop in front of one of the graves.

'Jesse's tomb. But why at this time of the night? Doesn't he know how dangerous it is at this time of the night?' the Slayer wondered.

Meanwhile in front of said tomb, Xander remained motionless.

"It's been awhile, Jesse. Hope you're having a better time up there than down here," he whispered, his voice too soft to be heard by anyone.

A hand pushed out of the nearest grave, but the male Scooby ignored it.

"I just wish to say that I'm sorry," his voice not higher than a whisper as another hand followed suit out of the grave.

A head pushed out of the Earth to reveal a girl's head.

"What are you apologizing for, hon?" the female vampire asked after lifting itself clear off the earth.

"For not being able to save someone I knew in the past," came the reply as green fire flickered into existence with a sizzling WHOOSH around the palm facing the female vampire.

"Err ... Easy does it. How about we just forget this? You go your way and I'll go mine?" the vampire asked, fear creeping into her voice as her eyes fell on the unnatural flame in the palm of the 'prey' before her.

It floated into the air, a glowing ball of green luminous fire before snapping outwards in the direction of the newly-emerged undead.

"And for not being able to save you ..." the stranger answered, ignoring her words.

She cried in fear, leaping to the side to avoid the green flames but it grew in size, devouring her completely, reducing her into ashes in seconds.

From her hidden perch, behind the tree trunk, Buffy watched the entire scene with a mixture of fear and awe.

'What have you turned into, Xander?' she wondered before leaving the site as quietly as she could.

"Willow! Oh bad!" Buffy cried out.

"Slow down. What is it Buffy?" the Witch asked.

"It's Xander. He's possessed," the Slayer answered before before relating everything that she had seen at the cemetery.

"Possessed? I think we had better talk to Giles aboout this," the red-headed witch answered.

_**Number of Days after Halloween: 0022**_

The very next day, the two Scoobies went to meet Giles in the library immediately, after school. The librarian and Watcher listened in silence as the Slayer told what she had seen.

"Well, the first thing to do would be to find out exactly the type of demon that has taken possession of Xander. From there, we'll work on trying to remove the demon from him," he said as he left his seat for particular shelf in the library.

Willow and Buffy helped him to look through the shelves for all books on the subject of possession and exorcism.

"You saw fire, right Buffy? So he's got to be some kind of fire demon," the librarian answered.

"Except that the fire was green, Giles," came the Slayer's reply.

"There is quite a big category of fire demons here but I've not heard of one demon that utilised green fire," Giles pointed out.

"Then how in the world are we going to get the demon out of Xander?" Buffy asked frantically.

"Just be calm, Buffy. I'm sure something will occur to us soon," her Watcher answered.

"There must be more. Something that we didn't see," Willow added.

"Something that we didn't see? I've already told you what I saw," came Buffy's half-hearted's words.

"To find out what kind of demon has taken control of Xander, we have to determine what its capabilities are in full. That means we have to give the demon the chance of using its powers whenever possible to determine its limits and characteristics. Besides you have only seen Xander in action once. This is not enough. We have to know what the demon in Xander is fully capable of," the red-haired witch explained.

"What if the demon decides to harm somebody?" Buffy asked.

There was silence and then Willow spoke.

"I'm not sure ... but for now we'll just observe and hopefully deal with the demon before it causes too much damage. Giles and me are working on a portal spell. If we can't get rid of the demon, we'll try to send it to another dimension."

"And Xander?" Buffy asked a little worried.

"Hopefully, the people over there know how to get rid of the demon and send him back."

"That's three 'ifs'. What if things don't work out?"

"If things don't work out ... we'll cross the bridge when we get to that."

She never knew how right on the mark she was.

_**Number of Days after Halloween: 0024**_

Xander travelled around mostly at night now. One, to avoid the gaze of onlookers and two, to hunt the monsters that prowl the streets of Sunnydale at night. So far, he had taken out three vampire nests in three days with the help of his new abilities, courtesy of Halloween. The vampires were no match for him even when tried to overwhelm him through sheer force of numbers by gang-rushing him. No matter how many of them there were, the stupid bloodsuckers could not defy the one law that governed the existence of vampires.

None of them were fireproof. They were reduced to ashes in a couple of seconds each time they tried.

After a whole week of flash-frying each and everyone of the undead buggers he encountered into ashes with his powers, they had stopped attacking him. Instead they posted lookouts on the city streets to keep tabs on the movements of the male Scooby. A measure that had never been taken even with the Slayer. Such was their fear of Xander that the undead community had begun avoiding all manner of creatures that walked the streets at night in hooded robes.

It led to less kills, of course, much to Xander's annoyance since they tended to run rather than fight. What was worse, they would do it in such a way so as to maximise their chances of saving their undead hides. For once, he wished he could move unseen among the undead hordes.

'_Silent Death,_' they called him.

Not faraway, from a hidden vantage point, a certain diminutive blonde-haired Slayer involuntarily opened her mouth in surprise as the hooded robe figure which she had been trailing faded from sight like it never was.

_**Number of Days after Halloween: 0026**_

Buffy returned to the rest of the Scoobies that night with news of her latest discovery.

"And you're saying that Xander went all-out invisible on you?" Willow asked.

"Yes," the blonde-haired Slayer confirmed.

"It appears that the demon's powers are growing faster than we anticipated. We might have to act soon or we will never be able to remove the demon from him," Giles agreed.

"Have you found a banishment or exorcism spell somewhere?" Buffy asked with worry.

"Not yet." Giles shook his head.

What makes it worse is we don't know what type of demon is taking possession of Xander," Willow added.

They spent the whole night researching exorcism and banishment magicks but could find nothing even remotely similar to the type of demon that was 'possessing poor old Xander'. And the next two or three weeks ... all without success.

Then Acathla happened making everyone forget about the 'demon-possessed Xander' for a while. A portal that threatened to suck the entire world into hell had bigger priorities after all.

_**Number of Days after Halloween: 0026**_

Buffy was in tears. It was all her fault. Just for one night of happiness with her undead paramour, the curse was broken, with Angel's soul departing for where all souls go to and leaving the _significantly_ less pleasant personality of Angelus in charge. The first thing, the vampire had done was to go after the Slayer's family and friends. He had five hundred years of playing catch-up to do after all. And psychological games with potential victims was one of his trademarks.

He had wasted no time, visiting the Summers home after a few more nights of full-body action on the mattress with the Slayer as part of his game to break her mind. With that done, he laughed as he thought about what the Slayer would discover when she found the body of her dead mother on that very same bed. He would have gone to the Summers home that very night except that for the insane vampire's words that he would not come back alive if he did so.

"Silent Death waits for you ..." the crazy vampire seer had said.

"Silent Death? I laugh in Death's face ..." Angelus had boasted.

"Death will take you ... Kitten has very sharp claws ... that burn ..." she sang to the doll in front of her.

"I think we should get a professional to do this," Spike had suggested.

"Professional? What are you talking about?" Angelus asked.

"Why, the Order of Teraka, of course," the master vampire smirked at the question.

_**Number of Days after Halloween: 0030**_

Except that it was not enough. The three assassins sent by the Order of Teraka had all disappeared without a sound when they tried going after the Slayer and the male Scooby.

"We must leave. Miss Edith says that Silent Death is coming," the crazy vampire spoke in a sing-song tone of voice.

"Silent Death?" Spike asked, worry creeping into his voice.

Between rumours of the newly emerged vampire killer of Sunnydale and Drusilla's prophetic visions, he had learned, never to ignore her seemingly mindless rantings.

"The stars are never wrong," she voiced softly before starting to play with her dolls again.

"Kitten is very dangerous ..."

TBC


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